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As symbolized by the word "omotenashi," deep consideration and meticulous consideration for others and guests is known as one of the virtues that characterizes Japanese culture.
It is well known that this spirit of hospitality is reflected in the way people are treated and served in the tourism industry, as well as in traditional cultures such as the tea ceremony and flower arranging, and is internationally recognized.
The specific contents of hospitality are diverse, but "food" and "cooking" can be said to be universal and extremely important themes.
Even today,"dinner diplomacy,"meals play a significant role in international relations as a means of communication, and historically, hospitality meals have contributed to smooth negotiations during critical junctures.
The act of entertaining guests with such special dishes"kyōō" (feasting), and special menus for celebratory occasions existed not only among samurai and court nobles but also among commoners.
Among these, one style of cuisine that holds the formality of a samurai family's official ceremony"Honzen Ryori" (formal banquet cuisine)is called
While the meaning of the term has changed over time, it is"kaiseki cuisine"still a common course meal in Japanese cuisine today"kaiseki ryori," whichthe origin of
Pounding rice cakes
which is made entirely from mochi (rice cakes)"Mochi Honzen,"has a local dish called
In this article, we will introduce Mochi Honzen, a hospitality dish that inherits the etiquette of the samurai class, from the Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi regions in southern Iwate Prefecture.
What is the traditional "Mochi Honzen" of Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi?
"holy land of mochi" and "Japan's number one mochiis a local dish from Ichinoseki City and Hiraizumi Town in Iwate Prefecture, which are known as theHonzenIt is a traditional Japanese meal called "Honzen" where everything is made from mochi.
A typical honzen meal consists of rice, soup, a simmered dish, pickled vegetables, and pickles, known as "ichijuu sansai" (one soup and three dishes), all served on one tray, but with mochi honzen, all dishes except the pickled vegetables and pickles are mochi dishes.
This region in southern Iwate Prefecture was once under the rule of the Sendai Domain, and, as a tradition dating back to Date Masamune, there was a custom of pounding mochi (rice cakes) and offering them to the gods on the 1st and 15th of every month.
Due to this background, the practice of serving mochi on a meal has continued for approximately 400 years, and it has been passed down as an important ceremonial food eaten not only on celebratory occasions but also on condolences.
It is said that in the past, common people did not have access to mochi dishes on a regular basis, but for guests coming from far away, whether for celebrations or condolences, the Mochi Honzen meal embodies the spirit of hospitality of first filling the stomachs of guests.
Etiquette and how to eat mochi honzen
Mochi Honzen"Honzen"has been perfected as a very formal and dignified style of cuisine.
There are strict etiquette rules for both the host and the recipient, and the manners are a continuation of the ancient ceremonies of samurai and court nobles.
First of all, when enjoying this dish,"Otorimochi-sama,"is essential.
The video above is a promotional video for Ichinoseki City's mochi, and "Otorimochi-sama" appears in a scene where a full meal of mochi is served at a junior high school.
The host must not only pay close attention to the overall flow of the meal and the state of the guests, ensuring that the banquet goes smoothly, but must also give a greeting to conclude the ceremonial meal.
Let's take the example of Mr. Sato Ikuo, vice chairman of the Mochi Food Promotion Council, as an example of such a speech by Otorimochi-sama.
Otorimochi's speech
・Opening remarks
"I would like to say to all of you, today is a beautiful day, with fine weather, making it a truly celebratory day. I am truly grateful that you have come all the way here. The traditional rice cake meal is considered the ultimate in hospitality in this region. It has been passed down that 400 years ago, both Date Masamune, the founder of the Sendai domain, and Tamura Ukyodayu used the Ogasawara style of setting the table and the Shijo style of menu. Today's meal has been prepared in accordance with that tradition. I hope you will enjoy it to your heart's content."
・ Closing speech
"To our honored guests and everyone else alike, I am very pleased that you have all enjoyed today's rice cake meal. Please also enjoy the hot water that accompanies it, and this will mark the end of the meal. Thank you very much to our honored guests and everyone else today."
In this way, the ceremony begins with thanking the guest for their visit, and then explaining the position and history of the Mochi Honzen meal.
The closing speech is a greeting at the end of the meal, and "zen no yu" refers to the etiquette of pouring hot water into a bowl and drinking it at the end of the meal.
Also, in the opening remarks,
"Today, I am very grateful to you, but I will give it to you in accordance with local customs."
This expression,"katamochi,"is a humble way of saying "it's a hard rice cake," and also implies that it's a rice cake that hardens over time, meaning it's a pure rice cake without any additives.
The Otorimochi-sama bows his head with both hands on the ground while he delivers these speeches, and the guests also bow with their hands on the ground.
In response to this traditional and sincere host, guests must also follow the traditional etiquette. Next, let's take a look at how to eat a Mochi Honzen meal.
How to eat Mochi Honzen
Mochi Honzen has its own table manners, and you cannot just eat whatever you want from the tray.
The theory behind a typical main meal consisting of one soup and three side dishes is that pickles are placed in the middle, rice is placed in the front left, soup is placed to the right of that, a tsubo (a stew with little liquid) is placed in the back left, and pickled vegetables are placed to the right of that, but a mochi main meal is made up of mochi dishes except for the pickles and pickled vegetables.
In the rice areathere is mochi filledwith sweet bean paste; in the soup area,there is mochi in soup (zoni); and in the tsubo area,"ryori mochi."there are various seasoned mochi dishes called
When eating mochi honzen, it is customary to first take a bite of namasu (pickled vegetables), which is usually made with grated daikon radish seasoned with sweet vinegar.
Mochi Honzen Namasu (Grated Daikon Radish)
First, moisten your throat with this namasu so that the mochi doesn't get stuck, then pick up the bean paste mochi, the cooked mochi, and the soup mochi in that order with your chopsticks, and before moving on to the next mochi, eat the namasu to refresh your mouth.
Please note that you can have as many refills of red bean paste mochi and soup mochi as you like, but you generally cannot have as many refills of cooked mochi.
Pickled radish is served as a pickle, and you can eat it at any time, but be sure to save one piece for the end of the meal.
mentioned earlier"zen no yu"is poured into the bowl. You use the remaining slice of pickled radish to wipe the bowl clean and drink the water, and then you receive the closing greetings from Otorimochi-sama, marking the end of the mochi meal.
It is a meal filled with high formality and warm consideration, evoking a relic from an era when hospitality meals were a ritual that followed proper etiquette.
[Series] Mochi Honzen from Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi
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A Visual Guide
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